Interpretive Summary: An organism that is parasitic on another parasite is called a “hyperparasite”. In biological control programs, hyperparasites can cause problems by parasitizing the control agents, thereby reducing their effectiveness. In this study, we report on a hyperparasite of the Lespesia fly that attacks Thagona tibialis caterpillars. In Brazil, these caterpillars destroy tropical almond plants that are grown for ornamental or medicinal properties. Thagona caterpillar pupae were collected from a tropical almond plant by scientists at the USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida and at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. From these pupae, a hyperparasite emerged and was identified as Brachymeria koehleri. This is the first report of this hyperparasite developing as a parasite of Lespesia attacking caterpillars of Thagona in Brazil.

Technical Abstract:
Hyperparasitoids use the offspring of other parasitoids for their development, which can reduce the efficiency of biological control. The aim of this study was to present the first report of hyperparasitoidism by Brachymeria koehleri Blanchard, 1935 (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) in pupae of Lespesia sp. (Diptera: Tachinidae) parasitizing caterpillars of Thagona tibialis Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) in Brazil. Forty nine pupae of T. tibialis with different ages were collected after their caterpillars’ defoliated one plant of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) on the campus of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. These pupae were placed in plastic pots of 500 mL and brought to the Laboratory of Biological Control of Insects (LCBI) of UFV where they remained in test tubes (12 cm long × 2 cm diameter) until emergence of lepidopterans or of parasitoids. Thirteen pupae of T. tibialis showed puparia with emergence of eight individuals of Lespesia sp., one female of B. koehleri and four pupae were unviable. This is the first report of hyperparasitoidism by B. koehleri in pupae of Lespesia sp. parasitizing caterpillars of T. tibialis in Brazil.